Tiny Island Summer (9 page)

“How do you get paid?”

“The auction house gets paid a premium by both the seller and the buyer. It’s typically on a sliding scale. The auction house will charge a higher premium on a lower value item. But for a big estate, we typically charge the same percentage on each item. The percentage is determined by the final sale price. There is also a charge for catalog photographs, although again that fee is typically waived for large estates.”

Mrs. Hampton nodded thoughtfully for a moment. Darcy resisted the urge to squirm and look unsettled. Her nerves could destroy the entire opportunity. She took great pains to keep her smile on her face and to breathe normally.

“Why should I sell with an auction house? Why shouldn’t I try to sell on my own or to a dealer?”

“Selling with an auction house gives you the most exposure. Instead of selling to one dealer, you are getting dealers and private collectors all over the world to compete for your property. All of our auctions are conducted simultaneously online and live. We produce both print catalogs and digital catalogs of our sales and get those out to potential buyers at least two months before a sale, to build interest.”

Mrs. Hampton nodded. “I think that answers all of my questions.”

Darcy reached into her workbag and pulled out her card. “Let me give you this before I forget. Please call or e-mail me if you have any questions. Don’t hesitate.”

“Thank you. I’ll probably take you up on that,” Mrs. Hampton said with a grin.

“Please do.”

“Well, there is a lot to see, so I guess we’d better get started.”

“What are you interested in selling?”

Mrs. Hampton waved her arms around her head. “Everything.”

Darcy’s eyes grew large momentarily. “I should mention any provenance or history of an item is important. If something had been purchased from a well-known dealer or antique store or auction, that can add value to a piece.”

“Really?”

“We had a sale of a collector’s property, and there were actually bidders who had lost out on some of the Chinese vases the first time they’d sold thirty years before. Those collectors had waited to see the vases again.”

“Wow. I can dig up history on some things that I’ve purchased, but a lot of these have been family heirlooms.”

“Do you think you could walk me through each room? Please tell me what you call each room, so that I can keep the names consistent on the appraisal. And please point out anything of significant importance.”

Mrs. Hampton nodded and led Darcy back to the front hall. They began their tour of the home, Darcy quickly jotting down as much as Mrs. Hampton told her as she followed the older lady from room to room. After two hours, they’d finally toured the entire home and had returned to the entryway. Mrs. Hampton looked exhausted.

“If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll go out and get a bite to eat, and come back in an hour or so?” Darcy asked.

She didn’t want to further exhaust the lady or insist that she rest. But despite her otherwise normal appearance, the lady lived with a nurse on the main floor of her home. Mrs. Hampton wasn’t well. Darcy had learned circumspection from her job.

Mrs. Hampton nodded. “I think that would be a good idea. If I’m asleep when you get back, please start in the library and work forward on the main floor.”

“Of course. And I’ve blocked off tomorrow as well. I can take my time, there is no rush.”

Mrs. Hampton attempted to smile. Her nurse walked up to help the lady back to her bed. Darcy saw herself out, found a coffee shop, and had a quick bite to eat. Her anticipation only grew. She forced herself to play games on her phone and idle around the Internet for forty minutes before getting back in her car.

Darcy pulled in front of the grand home and took her time gathering her things. She had opened her door when her phone rang. Darcy sighed when she saw who it was.

“Hello?”

“Darcy, hi. It’s Joanne. How’s it going?” Darcy’s boss said in a nervous rush.

“Good, I think. It’s a big project. I’ll be here for a couple days, and it’ll take me at least three to pull everything together.”

“No, two.”

“Joanne, come on, I’m pushing it at three.”

“Darcy, we can’t lose this. I don’t mean to pressure you. But I have to pressure you.”

Darcy’s heart began to race. She’d enjoyed three glorious weeks of working on her terms at a more normal pace. She’d forgotten the stress of her job. The anxiety of working in a crowded, open-plan office with phones ringing at all hours and clients walking in without appointments.  

“If you don’t land this . . .” Joanne told her ominously, then let the statement hang in the air between them.

“What? If I don’t land this, then what? Say it Joanne.”

“No, you know.”

“No, say it,” Darcy dared.

She’d grown tired of the emotional mind games and the ridiculous passive aggressive behavior. Maybe Joanne thought her tactics were motivating from whatever online business course she’d taken. But she was wrong, and the turnover rate of the company should be proof enough.

“You’ll be fired. You have tomorrow and then two more days. If you secure this sale, you’ll be rewarded. If you lose it, you’re done.”

“Thanks. I’ll send you a copy of the appraisal when I’m done,” Darcy told her boss, and then hung up without further comment.

She took in a few deep, steadying breaths, then got out of her car and got back to work. Darcy spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening working on the main floor. Mrs. Hampton joined her for as long as she could manage. She’d read and occasionally ask Darcy a question or answer one of Darcy’s. The day passed smoothly after the threat from Darcy’s boss. Darcy managed to work through most of the house, saving the dining room and library for the following day.

Darcy thanked Mrs. Hampton and headed back to her hotel for the night. She ordered room service and drew a bath the moment she returned to her room, too tired to even think of doing anything else. Her phone rang as she sank into the deep tub and submerged herself under the bubbles. Darcy ignored the ringing as best she could, but after the third repeat call, she got out of the tub, put on a robe, and answered.

“Hello?”

“Darcy, great. You answered. Where’s the corkscrew?”

“Char,” Darcy sighed. “Really? You called three times in a row to ask me that?”

“Um, no . . . I mean, not just that. How’s it going?”

A knock sounded at her door. “Hold on a moment.”

Darcy let the waiter push the cart inside and close the door behind him before continuing.

“The house is fantastic. It’s stunning and old, and I’ve only read about half the things I’m seeing in person.”

“But?”

“I got a threat from my boss today.”

“Oh boy.”

“Yeah. I’m feeling pretty awful about that.”

“Maybe it’s time to leave.”

“I knew you’d say that. If I leave, then what? What will I do? What kind of reference can I expect?”

“I have no idea. But there has to be something better than this.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I know. It’s just . . . it’s hard. I’ve put in so much time and effort and I love what I do . . .”

“But you’re not supported,” Char finished. It had been Darcy’s refrain for the three years she’d been employed.

“So how’s it going with you?”

“Good, it’s nice. I’m bringing a bottle to dinner, but I guess Ben says I need to bring my own corkscrew too.”

“Ben says? Is he going with you?”

“Yep. I think he wants a do-over. I had that bad impression of him the first time, and then he was a jerk on the boat. We’re calling a momentary truce.”

“I didn’t realize you were at war.”

“We’re not. You know what I mean. I like John, I do. It’d be nice if Ben and I got along. It would make life easier.”

“Yeah, so, is this a double date?”

“Hmm. I don’t think so. Ben didn’t say anything to me. Why?”

“No reason.”

“Uh huh. Darcy, tell me the truth, why?”

“He asked me out to dinner.”

“He did? That’s great!”

“Is it?”

“How do you feel about him?”

“I don’t know. Nervous? Anxious? I like him but . . . I don’t think I’m what he expects.”

“Maybe that’s good,” Char offered helpfully. “Oh wait, I see them at the back door. Darcy, I’ve got to go. I promise I’ll let you know anything important that might come up tonight. Call me when you’re on the road tomorrow.”

“Char, please don’t be obvious.”

“Give me a little credit. I am practically a lawyer.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night.”

She hung up the phone, ate a burger and fries in bed, watched a mindless hour of reality TV, and then passed out. She didn’t sleep as well as she had on Madeline Island. Without her cool summer breeze wafting in through the balcony, Darcy found herself waking up every few hours to adjust the thermostat. Morning came sooner than she would have liked, but after several cups of strong coffee, Darcy felt ready to face the day.

The nurse let her in as Mrs. Hampton finished getting ready. Darcy waited at the dining room table, excited to spend the day sorting through Mrs. Hampton’s family silver. Sterling silver had quickly become Darcy’s favorite area of study. As it had always been valued as a commodity, silver had always been kept in good care and passed down from generation to generation. Even in the most humble settings, she’d find antique sterling with family stories to cherish.

Mrs. Hampton appeared within a few minutes of Darcy’s arrival. She struck Darcy as frail that day. She seemed smaller, more fragile. Darcy was glad to have only a few hours, at most, of work ahead of her. She didn’t want to add any more stress to the lady’s situation.

“Shall we begin?” Mrs. Hampton asked Darcy.

“Please,” she responded with her warmest smile.

Mrs. Hampton pulled out a delicate brass key from her pocket and unlocked the two sideboards and a pair of built-in corner cabinets. As Mrs. Hampton opened each door and drawer that had been hidden from sight, Darcy stifled her sighs. The room sparkled as Mrs. Hampton uncovered urns, salts, samovars, vases, goblets, utensils, and more and placed them delicately on the table. For several hours, they worked in tandem. Darcy quickly taking her notes and photographs before Mrs. Hampton would put the items away and refill the table with more. At length, after a series of stunning Tiffany & Co. tea services, Mrs. Hampton put away the last creamer and locked the final door.

“I think that’s everything,” Mrs. Hampton told her with a smile.

“Thank you so much for letting me into your home, Mrs. Hampton. This has truly been a wonderful experience for me.”

Mrs. Hampton nodded and smiled. “Let me walk you out.”

Darcy gathered her things and with one last look around the room followed the lady out.

“I’ll have everything for you in a few days. Please take your time to look over every detail, and if you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Darcy got back into her car and drove back to Madeline, ready to lock herself in her room for the next thirty-six hours to finish the appraisal. She’d have to stay hidden away, she decided. She couldn’t risk any complications with Ben, which meant she’d have to avoid him.

Dinner with Char had proved to be even more illuminating then he had hoped. Ben wouldn’t call Charlotte a lush, but clearly, she was enjoying herself over the summer. He could only imagine he’d need quite a few drinks to relax if he was in law school too.

Ben treated Charlotte and John to dinner at a little BYOB café across the street from the Beach Club. Tucked in the tiniest strip mall, the café’s screened-in porch served as the dining room, thus limiting its hours to summer. He’d hoped to take Darcy there and had made the reservations the day after the boat trip.

Bringing a girl on the boat had been done to protect himself. Maybe not from Darcy but definitely from himself. He didn’t want to get the idea that he could be with Darcy. He thought he’d make it obvious that he was off limits. While Darcy may have received his message loud and clear, he hadn’t seemed to hear it.

Ben shook his head as they were seated, trying to erase the image of Darcy on the boat under the stars, and took a deep drink of water. He could have kissed her. He should have. The night had been perfect and nothing stood in his way, except for the drunken girl that he’d brought on deck. That had been a disaster in itself.

Maybe Darcy had been right by warning him off a girl like her. Ben wanted a little fun, but Caitlyn thought they were engaged. Including Caitlyn in their boat trip had led him to compare her to Darcy in ways neither woman would appreciate. Darcy had class and good manners and taste. He’d grown up with a strong-willed, elegant woman and had never stopped to think that some women didn’t think enough of themselves. Women like Caitlyn flaunted their physical attributes, which were plentiful, because that’s all they’d been taught to do.

“Sorry?” Ben asked looking up to see his companions staring.

“What’s good here?” Char asked.

“I’ve never been here before,” Ben told her truthfully.

“It’s nice. Almost a perfect date spot,” Char replied.

Ben shrugged eager to downplay his original intent and hide his shudder. Had he let on somehow about his true intentions?

“I guess I’ll have to keep that in mind,” he said as he took another drink of his water. “How’s your summer going so far, Charlotte? How do you like this little island of ours?”

Char poorly hid her surprise at his interest.

“It’s been great. Your brother here is quite the tour guide,” she playfully nudged John. “He needs to open up a travel company.”

“I don’t know about that,” John demurred.

I doubt they’d all get the same level of service,
Ben bit his tongue from saying. Instead, he opened up the first bottle of wine and generously poured for Char. She looked at him with eyes wide but didn’t stop him. He poured a glass for John but decided against any for himself. He needed to get on the road back to Duluth bright and early the next day.

“Thank you, cheers,” she said raising her nearly overflowing glass to the others.